National Action Plan: Nepal

Nepal developed its NAP for the implementation of UNSCR 1325 and 1820 in 2011 for the period of 2011 to 2016. Led by the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction, other government agencies, development partners, donor organizations, international non-government organizations, and civil society were involved in the development of the NAP. The NAP is contextualized within a broader set of government policies and initiatives that seek to mainstream gender and implement UNSCR 1325 and 1820 in Nepal. The Nepali NAP was developed out of one of the most consultative processes including 52 district level consultations, 10 regional consultations, and separate special consultations with women and girls directly affected by conflict. These consultations were attended by over 3000 participants and generated more than 1500 action points, which were clustered under the five pillars of the NAP. The plan also includes one of the most comprehensive background sections, highlighting the history of conflict, other policies and NAPs that support women’s empowerment, and particular concerns of women in Nepal as they relate to the WPS agenda. This background section is followed by an equally comprehensive action plan that is among the most specific NAPs across the featured criterion in this paper (Miller, Pournik, & Swaine, 2014).

Nepal is in a post-conflict period of transformation, recovery and reconstruction, following the decade-long armed conflict that took place from 1996 and ended with the signing of a peace agreement in 2006. Women were not included in the 2006 peace agreement, but the end of the conflict in Nepal also brought about a transition to secular democratic governance and a push from women's groups for equal participation and protection in the constitution.

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Nepal NAP

Civil Society Monitoring Report

Nepal analysis: Miller, Pournik, Swaine

WILPF Nepal has conducted various programs regarding Human Rights including elimination of discrimination against women. It has also held talk programs on election campaigns for women (especially for the 1991 election) and interaction programs about implementation on CEDAW in Nepal (1992).

Neelam K.C, the current president of WILPF Nepal, has also held programs of 1325 and its implementation in the capital city of Kathmandu and plans to hold further programs in other districts as well. In addition to such programs, WILPF Nepal has also visited prisons to improve women’s conditions and has also worked actively with other women alliances to give justice to rape victims such as Suntali Dhami, who was a security personnel that was raped by 6 security personnel.

WILPF Nepal hopes to continue its work improving conditions for women in Nepal, especially for those living in the rural areas of the country. WILPF Nepal's focus is: Human Rights/CEDAW/1325, Domestic violence, Trafficking, Increase the participation of women in government decision making levels to least 33 %, Empower more women to participate in the ongoing peace process in the country, Work against the oppressive features of a conservative culture (i.e. witch-craft, chhaupady and other such superstitions)

Civil Society was involved in the development of the NAP and has a formal ongoing role in implementation, monitoring and evaluation through representation in the High Level Steering Committee, and also the District Level Committees.

Civil Society also plays an important role outside official processes, in supporting local implementation, promotion, education and oversight. For instance, the women’s organization Saathi has completed annual monitoring reviews, and in 2011 came out with a report (see above right-hand panel).

Development was led by the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction, but many ministries (listed below) took part in the process.

NAP Implementation

Those named as implementing agencies include: Ministries of Peace and Reconstruction, Home Affairs, Defense, Foreign Affairs, Law and Justice, Information and Communications, Women, Children and Social Welfare, and the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.

NAP Monitoring and Evaluation

Many government ministries will assist in the Steering Committee tasked with monitoring the NAP's implementation and reporting on its progress.

The Nepalese National Action Plan is structured around five ‘Pillars’ that reflect UNSCR 1325's four pillars. They are:

Participation

Protection and Prevention

Promotion

Relief and Recovery

Resource Management

Monitoring and Evaluation

Each pillar has an objective and a set of strategic objectives. The objectives are:

To ensure equitable, proportional and meaningful participation of women at all levels of decision making of conflict transformation and peace building processes

To ensure the protection of women and girls' rights and prevention of the violation of these rights in pre-conflict, during conflict and post-conflict situations

To promote the rights of women and girls, and mainstream gender perspectives in all aspects and stages of conflict transformation and peace building processes

To ensure the direct and meaningful participation of conflict-affected women in the formulation and implementation of relief, recovery and rehabilitation programmes and to address the specific needs of women and girls.

To institutionalize monitoring and evaluation and ensure required resources for the implementation of the National Action Plan through collaboration and coordination of all stakeholders

For each strategic objective, the Nepalese NAP gives a set of specific actions. For example, under Protection and Prevention's first strategic objective - "To end impunity by instituting necessary reforms in the justice and security system to enable them to promptly respond to cases of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV)" - they give six specific actions:

Put in place necessary mechanisms with required reforms for carrying out immediate investigation and action in incidents of SGBV by maintaining confidentiality and dignity

Provide prompt and free legal service to women and girls affected by conflict

Build capacity of office-bearers in the justice and security sector for providing prompt and effective services to victims of SGBV

Make necessary legal provisions for prosecuting perpetrators of sexual violence during conflict period

Make changes in the existing laws extending statutory limitation for filing complaints in connection with incidents of rape

The NAP covers the period 2011-2016, and also provides specific timeframes for the actions presented. The timeframes given described as "five years from the first year" or "three years for the first year", for example.

The NAP does not include an allocated or estimated budget, but cites the need to effectively increase and mobilize resources, including from international donors. The allocation of an annual budget is included as a measure within the Indicators framework. The Implementation Committee is tasked with resource mobilization and the Ministries for Finance and Planning and Development also have responsibilities. No specific details, strategies or plans are provided within the NAP.

For each strategic objective there is a set of indicators given. For example, in the first specific action under Promotion - "Collect and document data including the causes of SGBV perpetrated on women and girls affected by conflict" - the Nepalese NAP gives one indicator: Statistical report along with the analysis of SGBV perpetrated against women and girls affected by conflict.

The Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction is responsible for overall coordination of the NAP. The NAP requires the creation of a Gender Unit at the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction, which will hold responsibility for overall monitoring and evaluation and the preparation of annual progress reports. To date, no Gender Unit has been established. Ongoing monitoring, oversight, review and implementation of the NAP will occur at multiple levels, from the national to the district level.

The High Level Steering Committee, is chaired by the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction and Ministry for Foreign Affairs and comprised of government departments and Civil Society representatives. The Steering Committee is tasked with monitoring and evaluation, policy development, maintaining inter-agency coordination, generating national and international support for the NAP, providing oversight, direction and support for the development of individual departmental implementation plans and actions, and reporting NAP progress to the United Nations. The Steering Committee may also invite UN Women Nepal, representatives of the Peace Support Working Group, the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme for Nepal and other experts as necessary

The Implementation Committee is comprised of government representatives and UN Women Nepal and is tasked with implementing the decisions of the Steering Committee, providing support and direction in the development of individual departmental implementation plans, developing mechanisms to promote gender awareness, mobilizing resources, monitoring implementation status and providing annual progress reports to the Steering Committee

The District Coordination Committees, operating at the local level are comprised of government, police and education representatives in addition to two women from conflict affected areas and to women’s Civil Society Representatives. The District Coordination Committees are tasked with implementing the decisions of the Implementation Committee, ensuring NAP actions are implemented at the district level, maintaining local coordination of programs and actions outlined in the NAP, carrying out district level monitoring and evaluation and providing progress reports to the Implementation Committee.

The is no monitoring and evaluation framework within the NAP, however the Indicators included within its body, measures, time-frames and a dedicated Pillar to Resource Management and Monitoring and Evaluation. This has been used as the basis for developing Monitoring and Evaluation mechanisms and producing the first monitoring report in 2012.

For the monitoring report, data was collected from relevant government ministries, Civil Society and private sector stakeholders. The review notes the significant steps taken in the first year to establish institutional structures, raise awareness and develop stakeholder collaboration. Noting these initial steps, the report recommends improving stakeholder ownership for policy makers and intended beneficiaries; data collection; coordination effectiveness at national, district and local levels. The NAP states that monitoring reports are to be made publicly available.

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